Construction of railroads



3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

E. H VASHCROPT.

CONSTRUCTION 0F RAILROADS.

3 sheetssheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. H. ASHCROFT.

GONSTRUCTION 0F RAILROADS.

(No Model.)

E. H. .ASHGROFT CONSTRUCTION 0F RAILROADS.Y

No. 888,240. Patented Au. 21, 1888.

3 Sheets-.Sheet 3.

NITED STATES PATENT Finca.

ED\VARD H; ASHCROFT, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS` CONSTRUCTION OF RAHLROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,240. dated August 21, 1888.

Application led February 6, 1888. Serial No. 203,070. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. Asncnorr, of Lynn, in the countyeof Essex and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Construction of Railroads, vof which the following is a full, clear,`and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

'.lhe invention relates to the construction of a railroad whereby the rails are tied together by the cross-ties or sleepers, which also su'pport them iu a more electual manner than is the ease with the present construction.

Heretofore rails have been supported upon the upper surfaces of the sleepers or cross-ties, and are prevented from moving laterally there# on and spreading from each other by spikes driven into the sleepers or cross-ties, and in some instances by metal tie-bars, which, however, do not act to support the rails.

By my invention I cause the sleepers or cross-ties not only to act as a support for the rails, but also to tie the rails securely' together in a manner to cause them to act in this capacity without the employment of the ordinary spike,l or, rather, to supplement the ordinary spike and enable the ordinary iron tie bar or rod to be in" a measure dispensed with.

This result is accomplished by sinking in the upper surfaces of the sleepers or ties channels of a. width and depth to receive the base of the rails, or a chair of peculiar construction upon which the bases of the rails rest.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View iu perspective representing a section of a sleeper and the end of a rail to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through two parallel rails and showing the sleepers and a part of the road-bed, to further illustrate the construction and operation of my invention. Fig. 3 is a view, part in side elevation and part in section, of my improved road-bed. Fig. 4 is a detail view in plan. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 refer to a slight modification, which is hereinafter described. Figs. 9, 10,11, and 12A also relate to a slightly-diiferent form of the said modification.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the sleepers or 'cross-ties, and they are of the or dinary kind of wood employed in railroad construction.

e represents the cross channels or recesses extending from the upper surfaces of the ties or sleepers and ,ofthe width of the base a of the rails B and of a depth about that of the thickness of the base, and into these recesses or channels the rails are placed and fastened by spikes, or in any other desired way. This is the most simple form of my invention, and when so embodied Iprefer to protect the sleepers or ties in and about the channels or recesses y coating the upper surface thereof with tar or other woodpreservative. The more elaborate form of invention is represented in Figs. 5 t-o 12, inclusive, where I have represented the channels in the cross-tiesor sleepers made deeper to receive a metal chair, C, of a width to closely fit the channels or recesses and having end flanges, c,which 'extend downward on each side of the sleeper or tie, side walls, c', and outwardly-extending flanges ci, which extend upon the surface of the sleepers. The space c, betweenthe side walls, c', is of a width to receive the base a' of the rail, and in the main should be below the upper level of the sleeper or tie which supports it.

The downward-extending ilanges c should be o'f a length sufficient to permit of the interposition of one or more flat plates between the under surface of the chair and the surface of the recess or channel, for the purpose ofA adjusting the chair properly in the sleeper as the Sleeper becomes worn, and also for the purpose of enabling the two or three independent plates to be placed between the chair and the sleeper to absorb vibration.

It will be observed that this construction provides for a uniform and accurate gagea `most absolute preventive of the spreading of the rail, each tie or sleeper, or a large number of ties or sleepers, (because it is not necessary that every tie or sleeper should be thus secured,) acting not only as a support to which f the rails are bolted, but also as a tie to prevent their lateral displacement in a much more secure and effective way than is possible by the use o f spikes alone.

--1=In`Figs'. 9 to 12, inclusive, I show the base or rail-support vand the chair made corrugated .instead ofilat.- This 'provides a somewhat yielding or elastic connection between the rail and the sleeper. I prefer when this construction is employed that there be interposedbetween the corrugated base or support and the sleeper a dat metal plate, as represented in Fig. 12, and upon which lthe corrugated base of the chair rests. lf desired, the chair may have one or more additional corrugated plates superimposed,for the purpose of providing additional strength. I prefer that the chair be for-med from sheet metal by striking up.

It -w`ill be observed that a chair having the side anges furnishes the rail with a bearing of greater area on the sleeper than the base of the rail alone provides, and this is of considerable importance, iu that the integrity of the sleeper is longer maintained. f

Having thus fully described my invention, -I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination of the sleepers or ties A.

having the recesses or channels a, the metal chair C, having the lianges c,and the side walls, c', which are placed in said recesses or chanf nels, with the rail B, the basesof which are placed on said chair between the side Walls thereof, as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the sleepers A, hav- .ing the cross channels or recesses a, the metal 'chair C,^ha.ving t-he side walls, c', and the outwardly-cxtending lianges c2, and the rails vB, the bases a of which rest upon said chairs between the walls c', as and for the purposes described.v

3. The combi nation of the ties or sleepers A, having the crosschannels or recesses a, the chair C, having the downward extending flanges c, the walls c', and the outwardly-extending flanges ci, with the rails B, .the bases a of which rest upon the side chairs and each other, and the said walls c', substantially as described. i y

4. The combination of the sleepers A, having the cross recesses or channels a, the chairs C, having the downward-extending flanges c, the walls c', and the outwardlyextending dan es c one or more lates inter osed be-y tween the chair and the sleeper, and the rails B, the bases'of which rest upon the'upper snrface of the chair between the walls c', substan` tially as described. l 5. The combination of a chairhaving the corrugated base or rail -supporting surface, with one or more additional corrugated recuforcing plates, substantially as described.

4 EDWARD III. ASI-ICROFT. vIn presence of F. F. RAYMOND, 2d,4 E. P. SMALL. v` 

